Praedicator

Verba

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled since they were no more." [Matthew]

The decree of Herod was the sort of thing that he was very capable of. He had put various members of his family to death because of his paranoia. When the Magi mentioned a newborn "King of the Jews," that could easily have triggered a massacre. The poor Magi had no idea they were the unintentional catalysts of this. There is an echo here of the story of Moses' birth in Exodus 1:15-2:30 when Pharaoh ordered the death of Hebrew male babies. The event in today's gospel also triggers the "flight into Egypt." Danger abounded in the birth of Jesus - a sobering shadow to the light and joy of the season.

The Holy Innocents are not past figures. Each day the news is bringing us pictures of "holy innocents" dying in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. The images are heart-rending. Children are dying because of power struggles beyond their comprehension. If that isn't enough, there is the spectre of child abuse that is all too common in our own culture. This runs the gamut of physical and psychological abuse to abortion.

Today we can pray for children around the world who are vulnerable to the terrible impulses that adults can have. This feast is a grim reminder of what we need to do to protect the "Holy Innocents." AMEN